fun.'s Dost talks CMU, journalism and fun.
It's a story that started at Central Michigan University back in the 1970s.
Mark and Cheryl Dost met at CMU. The '78 and '79 graduates brought their son, Andrew, to their alma mater to study journalism. Dost graduated in 2005.
From studying to touring with Anathallo and fun., Dost has done a lot in the last decade. He's won two Grammy Awards, and fun.'s keyboardist feels like CMU helped prepare him for his moments of fame.
Central Michigan Life got a chance to sit down with Dost to talk about his time at CMU, his experiences with fame and what's next for him and for fun.
Why did you come back? Why be the grand marshal?
Well, they invited me and it’s something that I grew up kind of aware of because my parents went here. I knew who their grand marshals were because we had talked about it. We had talked about homecoming before, even before I went to school here. It was always something I thought was a very high honor. So to be asked was just kind of an incredible thing. I couldn’t wait to tell my parents because I knew how much it would mean to them as well as to me, so it was really kind of a special thing. To be back on a campus that I have so many good memories with is really... I’ll take any excuse to get back here, but especially something as special as homecoming, it’s great.
Is there any experience you’ve had at CMU that’s stuck with you?
There are so many. I was here for really four of the best years of my life. Making friends, meeting band mates, learning more about myself, there’s a lot of kind of general memories like that. But specifically, I remember walking by an open door in Larzelere Hall and seeing a Weezer poster on the wall and knowing I was going to be friends with those guys. I still am. They’re here.
What do you miss most about CMU?
I miss just the feeling of being surrounded by 20,000 people that are your same age. It’s just a neat experience. There’s nothing really like it in life later. There’s such a wonderful exchange of ideas and energy on this campus. I miss that a lot.
What do you miss most about the journalism department?
I miss hearing Dr. (John K.) Hartman speak. I loved him so much. We’ve been emailing back and forth a little bit over the last couple weeks. I liked, I think, every professor I had in the journalism department. If I could go back and take one class, it would probably be, well.. one I would take with Dr. (Ron) Marmarelli, one with Dr. Hartman and one with Dr. (John) Meixner in the philosophy department. (Dr. Hartman and I) were going to try to get together and get coffee, but he’s not in town this weekend.
Do you think that by being here it’s helped you become the musician you are? Finding everyone from your old band and getting it together and doing gigs around MP and stuff on the weekends, do you think that without CMU you would be the musician you are today?
I think that CMU prepared me for life in so many ways, not just as a musician. I think Central prepares people to be good humans and good citizens of the world. Whether it’s in class or at an event of some sort of just the kind of community that they foster here, it’s just important for growth in general. I am so grateful to have had my college experience here because I do feel well prepared. I feel like I met a lot of life-long friends here. I feel like I learned a lot of valuable lessons here. So absolutely. My education and my personal experience here helps me every day.
What kind of advice do you have for CMU students for survival here?
I think just to be open to whatever life is going to throw at you. Be excited about it and learn to embrace things that might seem to be setbacks. Because those are going (to happen.) It sounds cliché, but those ultimately do help you, and they prepare you for better things. I would just say that, don’t necessarily think that you’re going to end up with a job in the field that you think you’re going to end up in. I studied journalism, and now I play music for a living. Life is kind of full of surprises and twists and turns and CMU prepares you to be a versatile person and that’s pretty darn useful, I think.
How do you keep yourself grounded? How do you not let the fame get to your head?
Well, I’m in a nice position in the band because I’m not the lead singer. I’m kind of anonymous within the band. It’s a nice position to be in because I can play music. I can do what I want to do. I can kind of travel the world. When I walk down the street, people don’t really know or care. So that’s a nice, non-celebrity, kind of in the entertainment industry. I’m about as non-famous as you can get I guess, which I really like. I’m kind of grateful for. It’s nice.
Is it weird being back In MP? Is it surreal at all?
Yeah! It’s really weird. It’s so different. So many new buildings. So many things closed down, like Lil Chef. It’s so weird, but it’s nice because there’s still a lot of. When things go away, other things take their place, and that’s just kind of how it works. It’s neat. It’s constantly evolving here, and it feels the same. The spirit and attitude feels the same. There’s this overwhelming sense of positivity and community. That hasn’t gone anywhere.
Did your parents meet here?
They did!
Is it interesting to come back to their alma mater, too, and to watch all of this happen? What do you think it’s like for them?
I think it’s really exciting for them. Because it’s exciting for me and I don’t think … we haven’t been back here as a family since, I think, freshmen orientation or something. I didn’t walk in graduation. Anathallo was on tour, so, we haven’t really been back. They haven’t been back here at the same time too often I don’t think unless it was to pick me up or drop me off. It’s nice to all be back here and to walk around campus and talk to fellow alumni and kind of enjoy it. It’s great.
What’s next for you?
I’m finishing up scoring a film called "The D-Train" that I’m really excited about. So for the next month or two I’ll kind of be in that pretty deep. After that, probably another film, but I’m not really sure yet. But immediate future, finishing "D-Train."
Do you ever get asked to write for other artists at all?
Yeah. I have and do and that’s kind of one of the neat, fun things we kind of get to do. Go into the studio and work with other artists, and it’s fun.
What’s your favorite artist that you’ve worked with so far?
Gordon Gayno from the Violent Femmes.
Is there anything you think we should include in our articles?
This is a special place and the fact that my parents are back with me and my friends all came back says a lot about how much this place can touch peoples lives if they let it. Obviously it’s not the place physically, but it’s the people here and the professors and all the staff. People creating just a community that feels like home.
